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Study the ballot carefully on Tuesday - it's a long one - and then make your voice heard

Nov. 2, 2012

If you’re planning to take this editorial to your polling place on Tuesday, do us a favor. Right now, write yourself a note in the margin: Go to the bottom of the ballot first and vote “Yes” on renewing the half-cent sales tax to support Leon County Schools.

That’s the big one, an important vote for Leon County’s future.

Ten years ago, 58 percent of voters approved of the measure, and this time around it is drawing strong support from the business community — including a unanimous endorsement of the board of Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. Businesses don’t necessarily like paying taxes — but they know the value of good infrastructure, which this tax supports, as well as the value of education to a community.

Once that’s out of the way, you’re ready to tackle what may be the longest ballot you’ve ever seen.

You’ll be voting on everything from president of the United States to Leon Soil & Water Conservation supervisors.

In between, there are important state issues (retention votes for three justices on the Florida Supreme Court), seats in the Legislature, local offices (city and county commissions and sheriff) and changes to the state constitution (11 proposals in all).

You can download a sample ballot for your precinct at www.leonvotes.org. Study it and know the candidates and the issues. We hope you kept the valuable “Election 2012” guide printed in the Sunday, Oct. 21, Tallahassee Democrat. (If you didn’t, you can find candidate profiles, stories and endorsements at www.tallahassee.com/election.)